OMA K3 $360K TURNTABLE

[JP]

Thank you, man!

I liked the irony of his opinion.

It made me laugh.

 

[Golf]

Never understood why anyone would want to introduce all that mechanical complication into the tonearm.

I feel sorry for you.

Since there definitely are mechanical complications into the tone arm.

 

[Deleted member 21114]

With these types it's a miracle they don't revert to using wax cylinders. They're sort of like a bizarro Amish community that actively tries to push the envelope of technology, but only technology that existed before a certain date.

The most complex technology a non-technical mind can feel as if they comprehend. Magnetic hysteresis? CIRC? Bit depth? I'll stick with things I can see thank you.

It would be weird if they had settled on DAT instead.

 

[kemmler3D]

The most complex technology a non-technical mind can feel as if they comprehend.

The vibrations go in this end, and come out the other end (as much as possible) the same they went in. At every stage the signal physically resembles the original vibrations. Indeed, I think anyone who has bothered to get how sound and audio works at the most basic levels will feel like they get how a turntable works.

I admit there is a lot of appeal to a fully analog system.

But whether I could tell you exactly how to build one or not, I am happy to admit digital stuff works better.

 

[Sal1950]

I admit there is a lot of appeal to a fully analog system.

As long as SQ isn't at the top of the attributes list.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

I can't understand the fuss over this cheapo TT, when the TechDAS Air Force Zero exists!
Just saying!

 

[Pearljam5000]

I can't understand the fuss over this cheapo TT, when the TechDAS Air Force Zero exists!
Just saying!

OMA K3 compared with the TechDas

I can't decide which sounds better
Probably the K3

 

[Count Arthur]

OMA K3 compared with the TechDas

I can't decide which sounds better
Probably the K3

They both sound bloody awful, but that's what happens when you play jazz on anything.

 

[Vacceo]

For that price I could get a whole set of Blades as multichannel, pay for the amplification and still treat the listening room. And still have money to get a screen and subwoofers.

 

[mhardy6647]

The most complex technology a non-technical mind can feel as if they comprehend. Magnetic hysteresis? CIRC? Bit depth? I'll stick with things I can see thank you.

It would be weird if they had settled on DAT instead.

DAT -- yeah, the audiophile fringe.
Maybe paper tape; for that last vestige of analog warmth.

 

[Godataloss]

It only proves how disconnected the audiophools o

It only proves how disconnected the audiophools of "high end" audio think.
All solid media is dead, the rest of the worlds population have moved on to streaming their digital entertainment.
View attachment 341932

I hear the lament of someone who sold their record collection for pennies in the 90's and is still salty about it

 

[Count Arthur]

I hear the lament of someone who sold their record collection for pennies in the 90's and is still salty about it

I sold my turntable and all my LPs in the 90s. I don't miss the so-so sound quality and the added faff of playing records, but I would have got a better price if I'd held on to them for a while and waited for the vinyl revival.

 

[JP]

OMA K3 compared with the TechDas

I can't decide which sounds better
Probably the K3

I took a brief look at the audio in that video at the end of November- there was a nearly 5dB level difference between the two captures.

 

[Count Arthur]

I took a brief look at the audio in that video at the end of November- there was a nearly 5dB level difference between the two captures.

I didn't notice. That probably explains a lot about my failure to become an audio reviewer.

 

[anmpr1]

... shades of the justly infamous Garrard "zero tracking error" pantograph parallelogram tonearm!

Because I like being in the minority, I have to say that the Z-100 wasn't as horrible as almost everyone says it was. In fact, with a proper cartridge, tracking at about 2g, it produces a very clean and crisp sound-- a result of the insignificant lateral groove distortion. In fact, I have one in a secondary system now, and am still happy with that aspect of its performance.

Being strictly mechanical, it does not hold long term speed well; over the course of the record most probably would not realize any drift, however with absolute pitch one might notice it. Flutter mostly depends upon the condition of the rubber idler/brass motor shaft. Rumble is commensurate with any idler mech from the '70s.

It reaches speed instantaneously, quicker than even the then new Japanese servo DD record players, those quickly demolishing the entire belt and idler drive consumer record player industry--at least until more 'tweako' designs became popular (mostly beginning with the Linn, an AR derived design). Consumers compared idler Garrards, Duals, and the others with the newer Technics, and quickly walked away. Build QC of Japanese product was light years ahead of anything coming out of England and Germany. Plus, no one really wanted a record changer anymore.

All things considered, I think one can reasonably argue that at its popular price point the Z-100 was quite an engineering feat for the times. There were other attempts before the Garrard, but none had any commercial success. Now a few sophisticated pivoted designs are available, all at a much higher price point.

One is the Klaudio, which is set up using a laser beam, costing as much as a high performance Japanese motorcycle. Chump change compared to the OMA.

 

[Robin L]

Because I like being in the minority, I have to say that the Z-100 wasn't as horrible as almost everyone says it was. In fact, with a proper cartridge, tracking at about 2g, it produces a very clean and crisp sound-- a result of the insignificant lateral groove distortion. In fact, I have one in a secondary system now, and am still happy with that aspect of its performance.

Being strictly mechanical, it does not hold long term speed well; over the course of the record most probably would not realize any drift, however with absolute pitch one might notice it. Flutter mostly depends upon the condition of the rubber idler/brass motor shaft. Rumble is commensurate with any idler mech from the '70s.

It reaches speed instantaneously, quicker than even the then new Japanese servo DD record players, those quickly demolishing the entire belt and idler drive consumer record player industry--at least until more 'tweako' designs became popular (mostly beginning with the Linn, an AR derived design). Consumers compared idler Garrards, Duals, and the others with the newer Technics, and quickly walked away. Build QC of Japanese product was light years ahead of anything coming out of England and Germany. Plus, no one really wanted a record changer anymore.

All things considered, I think one can reasonably argue that at its popular price point the Z-100 was quite an engineering feat for the times. There were other attempts before the Garrard, but none had any commercial success. Now a few sophisticated pivoted designs are available, all at a much higher price point.

One is the Klaudio, which is set up using a laser beam, costing as much as a high performance Japanese motorcycle. Chump change compared to the OMA.

View attachment 342352

Managed to find a couple of lateral tracking turntables at yard sales around 2010 or so. They didn't get rid of inner groove distortion, as the cartridges that came with the 'tables were underperforming ellipticals and a lot of my records were used/worn. They also had more issues with peak warp wow as their arms were so short. The mechanism that pulled the arm from edge to center gave out on both before too long and I went back to pivoted arms after that.

 

[mhardy6647]

Managed to find a couple of lateral tracking turntables at yard sales around 2010 or so. They didn't get rid of inner groove distortion, as the cartridges that came with the 'tables were underperforming ellipticals and a lot of my records were used/worn. They also had more issues with peak warp wow as their arms were so short. The mechanism that pulled the arm from edge to center gave out on both before too long and I went back to pivoted arms after that.

Apples to oranges, though, vis-a-vis the Garrard parallelogram arm, which was oh-so-pivoted.
@anmpr1's comments are well taken. A lower-compliance cartridge probably ameliorates some of that arm's drawbacks (i.e., high mass!).
The other thing I remember about the Garrards (and, yes, I had one -- briefly!); lots of slop in the bearings and the various pivot points on the arm mechanism itself.

I will say that, to this day, I have an old b&o TX-2 in the 'on deck circle' (too American? too sports?) and it does a fine job with audible reduction of IGD relative to many of the other "midfi" decks here with ordinary swingin' arms on them.

 

[anmpr1]

I will say that, to this day, I have an old b&o TX-2 in the 'on deck circle' (too American? too sports?) and it does a fine job with audible reduction of IGD relative to many of the other "midfi" decks here with ordinary swingin' arms on them.

Another thing that killed any development of the pantograph arm at a popular price point were those lateral tracking decks, which could be pretty inexpensive. B&O were expensive and proprietary (cartridge), but there were a plethora of straight line tracking players from Japan sold for not too much over entry level dollars. Technics made a few about the size of a record. ReVox was also well known.

For whatever reason I never had any 'in the living room' experience with them. I did demo a top of the line Beogram 4002 system at an audio salon. Visually stunning with rosewood panels. Sure it all looked great in an upscale Manhattan high-rise.

 

[Balle Clorin]

I took a brief look at the audio in that video at the end of November- there was a nearly 5dB level difference between the two captures.

Standard Fremer practice not to record at same level
second track is 0.8-0.9db loader first 20 seconds

 

[mhardy6647]

Another thing that killed any development of the pantograph arm at a popular price point were those lateral tracking decks, which could be pretty inexpensive. B&O were expensive and proprietary (cartridge), but there were a plethora of straight line tracking players from Japan sold for not too much over entry level dollars. Technics made a few about the size of a record. ReVox was also well known.

For whatever reason I never had any 'in the living room' experience with them. I did demo a top of the line Beogram 4002 system at an audio salon. Visually stunning with rosewood panels. Sure it all looked great in an upscale Manhattan high-rise.

View attachment 342390

I did have one of the better engineered (well... at least better built), later, somewhat lesser (i.e., cheaper) DD Japanese "Close-n-Play" linear-tracking tts -- a dump find (of course). 'Twas a Technics SL-5. Worked flawlessly. I gave it to a friend of my son's who was interested in playing records -- back around the turn of the century, if memory serves.